Of Thieves and Coincidences
by a cup of insanity
Summary: Travis just keeps running into Katie. And he's always trying to steal something, not that he actually succeeds. It's been happening a lot, and the both of them have no idea why. Must be fate messing with them, who knows? — Travis/Katie AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Woo! This is my first multi-chapter fic. Yay me! It's just—this plot bunny just wouldn't get out of my mind and I just have no idea and alhfgsdhjlgsgf. Hope you like it anyway. It's an AU btw. They're not demigods and everything—they're just normal teenagers. (I like to think that they're like 17 in here or something? Idk man.) So um. Yeah. It's also rated T because of language. And... teenage stuff. I'll try to make this as innocent as possible omg. (It's not like I could write anything... smutty anyway, so _HA_.)

Guess that's it.

**Disclaimer:** ...I wouldn't be writing this shit if I was Rick Riordan tbh.

* * *

**of thieves and coincidences — chapter one  
**_in which travis runs into katie (and also fails at stealing) for the first time_

* * *

Their town's park was probably one of Katie Gardner's favorite places _ever._ It was big, with lots of flowers and trees (and she really loved flowers and trees and all sorts of plants), and there were was this huge fountain with some statue in the middle. There was a playground too, with slides, swings and monkey-bars. It was the perfect place for everything—for picnics, relaxing, hanging out with friends… and Katie would have given _anything_ just so she could sit in a bench and watch all the plants and trees, and the people who were around, and the birds that flew by.

But not today.

As much as Katie loved the park, today was just… not her park-kind of day. She'd rather be at home, gardening with her step-mom, or taking care of her step-siblings, but, well, she _can't._ She promised meeting her friend Annabeth to talk about their project in English, which was due in what—a month, if she could recall. She'd rather not worry about it unless it was due a few days away but Annabeth was really particular about these things—deadlines and grades and having a good project. (Katie always thought of her as a nerd, to be honest.)

So here she was, walking in the park with a hand gripping tightly on the strap of her bag, the other hand holding books and notebooks against her chest. She's been searching for Annabeth for _ten minutes_ now, and she still wasn't able to find her. They planned on meeting by the fountain in the center of the park—well, Katie wasn't there yet, but Annabeth was the kind of person who was _really _punctual about everything and would be there five minutes early, so she was kind of hoping that she'd run into her.

But obviously, that's not what happened.

"This isn't like her to be late," she sighed. "And ugh, why did I even think of meeting-up in here? I could've suggested that café nearby or something." She's feeling slightly frustrated. "I'm _really_ craving for a latte right now." _And_ really thirsty.

Katie bit her lip._ 'Why couldn't Annabeth just show up or something?'_ she thought, her eyes scanning the faces around, but her friend's familiar face was not there. Had she perhaps stood her up? She shook the thought off. Annabeth was _not_ that kind of person. There was probably a reason why she wasn't able to find her yet. _'The fountain is just a few yards away, where the hell is she?'_ she thought impatiently. Although there were certainly a lot of people in the park today, she couldn't help but notice. It was a weekend, after all—who was she kidding? It was probably why she couldn't find her friend yet.

Katie was so lost in her thoughts and her desperation to find Annabeth that she didn't even notice someone walking towards her. (Right now, all she could ever care about was looking for Annabeth and getting their stupid project over with. She'd like to get home as soon as possible, thank you very much.)

**-o-**

Travis Stoll was feeling slightly agitated.

No, actually, 'slightly agitated' was more of an understatement. He was actually getting more and more pissed off. He'd been sitting on the same park bench for _fifteen_ minutes ever since his brother left to buy some drinks and promised he'd be back really soon. (The thought makes him snort—Connor was probably nicking some old lady's purse by now.)

The park was full of people today, being a weekend and all. It made him feel excited, thinking of all the people he could pick-pocket on. These thoughts made him feel like some kleptomaniac, which may seem that he _is_ one, but he's not. He just loved 'the art of stealing,' as he and his brother had called it. He loved the feeling, the adrenaline it gave him. Besides, he didn't do it all the time! He had other _hobbies_ as well, like pranking, for example.

But that wasn't important right now.

Connor was gone for fifteen minutes now, and he was getting more and more frustrated by the minute. Bored too. It seemed unfair too—Connor could have pick-pocketed a few dollars already and he was there, sitting on a bench with _nothing_. They were twins! They did everything together. They shared everything together. What Connor had, Travis had it too.

"Well, he's an asshole anyway," he said to himself, feeling annoyed at his brother. Who cares what Connor could be doing? He should have his share of fun as well. So he decided. He decided that he'd go pick-pocketing as well, nothing too harmful on that. (He only wants a few dollars, what's wrong with that? It wouldn't hurt a little.)

So he sat on the bench, observing every passerby, for potential victims. His thoughts went on from _'He's just a kid, he'd probably only have a few quarters with him or something,'_ or _'Nah, she doesn't look too well-off! The poor lady!'_ and so on. So far, he'd seen five people, and none of them were potential victims.

Until he saw _her_, of course.

Her brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she wore a white floral blouse with blue skinny jeans and a pair of oxford flats. (He could admit that she looks slightly pretty. Not that it was important.) She had a bag on her shoulder (it was the kind of bag which was slightly open, _ugh yes, _it makes it so much easier for him), and she was clutching books and notebooks in one hand. She looked kind of distracted, which just makes her the _perfect_ victim. He'd have to be quick, but then, she shouldn't notice when he slips his hands into her bag for her purse.

He smirked and stood up, grabbed his phone from his pocket—he needed an alibi, of course—and walked slowly towards her.

**-o-**

With his eyes on his phone and the occasional glances towards her, Travis walked slowly to her. Of course, he '_didn't'_ see her, so he ended up bumping into her, making her drop her books and notebooks _and _her bag to the ground. He immediately pulled his 'apologetic' face.

"Oh god, miss!" he exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I didn't see where I was going. I was texting my brother," he lied smoothly. "Here, let me help you up."

Katie shook her head. "No, it's fine!" she replied. "It was partly my fault as well, i mean, I wasn't watching where I was going and—" but he cut her off, saying it was really fine, and helped her pick up her books and notebooks. He grabbed her bag, quickly slipped his hand in and pulled out something and immediately shoving it into his pocket. He resisted the urge to smirk. He finally got what he needed.

"Thanks for um, helping me with these," she said, gesturing to her things. "and I'm really, _really_ sorry for bumping into you." He smiled a rather crooked smile (and she can't help but notice that he looked _really_ cute, ugh Katie, snap out of it!) and shook his head saying it was no bother, but _damn_, he really needs to get away before she notices he's stolen her money.

"Let me repay you somehow! Here, have some money or something," she said. He might've been saying it's no big deal, but she feels really guilty. He froze, but she didn't notice. She was busy with her hand inside her bag, looking for her money but she can't feel it _anywhere_ inside her bag and she almost panicked. When she looked up, he was gone.

"But where could he have…?"

Realization soon hit her on the face. _'That bastard!'_ She turned around, and she could see him sprinting away, so she ran after him as fast as she could, holding her things tightly so they wouldn't fall. _'I can't believe I'm so stupid!'_

"Hey!" she called out. "You asshole! Give it back!" She's running really fast, and she feels the adrenaline in her veins. Who the hell did he think he was, stealing her money like that? Soon, she was catching up to him. She _will_ get her money back, no matter what.

As soon as he heard her voice, he panicked. _'Shit, shit, shit,' _he thought. _'I'm screwed.' _He ran as fast as he could, dodging everyone in his way. He can't let her reach him, just _no_. But shit, really. He needs to get away from her. Fast. This wasn't the first time it happened, but he's been rather good at stealing lately that he _never_ got caught anymore.

(Well, you know what they say, there _is _a first time for everything.)

He could hear her, calling and yelling for him to stop and to give it back—why isn't she yelling, "Thief! Thief!" or something? But shit, she was catching up really fast, and he has to run more faster but he doesn't think he can anymore because he's losing his breath and his legs are starting to burn and it was so, _so_ painful_._

"You little shit!" He heard her yell. "Give it back, damn it!" But he keeps on running, trying his best to ignore her but _ugh_, people are starting to get suspicious. They were staring at them strangely—a teenage boy running away with a girl chasing him, yelling obscenities at the top of her lungs. Not that Katie could help it, she just _really_ needs her money back.

"Damn it," he muttered. He's so tired. Tired from running, so he gets her money out of his pocket and tosses it to the ground. He couldn't risk it anymore, and he'd rather not end up with the police, thanks. He didn't look back.

She picks up her money from the ground, confused as to why the boy did what he did, as much as grateful as she is. She's breathing heavily, and she's dropped her things on the ground but, _Jesus Christ_, she finally has her money back! She could drop by the café later and buy herself some latte because, well, this was some sort of accomplishment, wasn't it? It's not everyday that someone attempts to steal your money and you get it back.

**-o-**

Later, when Katie finds Annabeth and she's fifteen minutes late, she tells her everything that happened. Annabeth just tells her to not worry and forget about it, scolds her and tells her to be more careful next time. "You're lucky you even got your money back," she would say. And then she would ramble on and on about the things they would do for their project.

But she couldn't stop thinking of 'The Thief,' as she called him, with his curly brown hair and mischievous blue eyes and his crooked smile. A part of her wished that they'd meet again, and a part of her didn't. She just hopes that he doesn't try and steal something from her again.

And when Travis meets up with his brother Connor and his brother asks why he looks so exhausted and gloom, he just tells her of the girl and his attempt at stealing and how he failed. Connor laughs at him and tells him to do a better job next time since "he was being a dipshit."

He hopes he doesn't see her again.

(Of course, fate has different plans.)

* * *

**A/N: **God, Katie. You swear like a sailor. But who wouldn't, when your money is stolen? And she is a teenager, after all. I just sort of imagined Katie as the type who swears a lot when she's mad or something.

And there you have it, the first chapter of 'Of Thieves and Coincidences! Please do tell me what you think, and if I made any grammatical errors and whatnot (especially that. I'm really particular about my grammar omg you don't know how many times I've re-written this because I'm so insecure about my grammar so _please_). I do hope you liked it, though. I'm starting out the next chapter, but suggestions would be nice! I'd love you all for it. Again, thanks for reading! (And I'm really hoping you'd review! Though I'm not forcing you to, I stg.)

Have a good day! C:

**Edit:** Slightly edited 5/1/2013 (Hopefully, _most_ of my grammatical errors are fixed, yeah?)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** A million apologies! Oh my gods, I hope you guys didn't wait too long for this chapter. Which is kind of a filler, because I wanted sometime before Travis and Katie run into each other again. I'm not too pleased with this chapter, but I hope you guys like it anyway. C:

**Disclaimer:** Nope. Not. Never.

* * *

**of thieves and coincidences — chapter two**  
_in which travis and katie couldn't stop thinking about each other_

* * *

No matter what Annabeth said, Katie _really_ couldn't get 'The Thief' out of her mind.

It had been a week since that incident in the park, and she really couldn't stop thinking about him. Every time she would close her eyes, his face smiling crookedly would appear in her mind. It was kind of frustrating, really. And it was driving her crazy. She just wants to forget about him and move on. He was just a stranger—why would she waste her time on him? It's not like they were going to see each other again (as much as a part of her wants to). What happened was just a coincidence.

But _ugh_, it was really frustrating! Why can't she stop thinking about him, anyway? It's not like she was in love with him or something—they don't even know each other! But why did he… _interest_ her so much? Well, okay, she has got to admit, he was a bit good looking, but that was beyond the point. She was _not_ in love or anything. Definitely not. (But okay, maybe she was slightly attracted to him. But whatever, it wasn't really important.)

And she's convinced herself that it was all _his_ fault that she was having probably the worst week that she's ever been.

Throughout the whole week, her friends wouldn't stop teasing her about it as well. Piper wouldn't shut up about how she's _'in luuuuurve in first sight,'_ and she'd laugh with her kaleidoscope eyes twinkling. Thalia would smirk at her, and every time she would be distracted (more like thinking about him, really), Thalia would give her smug looks and wink at her. Annabeth… was Annabeth. There were times where she'd laugh at her friends' antics, there were also times where she'd give strange, knowing looks to Katie. But most of the time she was all, "Katie, really. It's no big deal. Just forget about it." (Not that she could forget about it. She just _couldn't_, for some reason.)

Katie was so, so, _so_ full of it, if she was being honest. She might've smiled at them, laugh at everything they might've been saying and doing but deep down inside, as much as she loved them, she was really trying her best not to strangle her friends.

Especially at that certain history class.

History was only one of the few classes they shared, besides P.E. and Biology. Which was a good thing, because as much as history interested her a little bit, it was one of the classes which she absolutely _loathed_, mainly because their teacher, Mr. Williamson, was probably the most boring teacher ever. A lot of students—more like 90% of the students—barely paid attention to his lectures. Not that he cared, probably. The remaining 10% were of course listening (they were the straight A-type of students. Annabeth was with them). And usually, Katie and her friends sat together (sometimes a seat away, so it wouldn't be too obvious that they weren't listening).

So what did Katie's friends do?

Piper, who was sitting diagonal across Katie kept sending her _horrible_ doodles (there was one where she was wearing a wedding dress and 'The Thief' was wearing a suit. She was absolutely horrified.) Thalia, who sat beside her, passed her notes with lyrics from the most cliché love songs _ever_—she just glared at them.

After seventeen doodles from Piper and twenty-three lyrics from Thalia, Katie finally snapped.

"Can you guys _stop_?" she hissed, much louder than she intended. Mr. Williamson looked at her with an eyebrow raised, and a few of her classmates turned in their seats to look at her. She paled. _'Well, shit.'_

"Miss Gardner," Mr. Williamson called out, his eyes boring holes into Katie. "Would you care to repeat what you've said?"

Katie stood up, frozen. She was panicking. What would she do? What would she say? Would she deny it?_ 'God, I hope I don't get detention,'_ she thought. "I—um, s-sorry, sir," she stuttered out, shifting uncomfortably. Her heart was pounding really hard against her chest and she feels sick in the stomach. "It—It won't happen a-again."

A few of her classmates snickered and Katie resisted the urge to glare at them. Mr. Williamson hushed them. _'Not detention,'_ she thought desperately. _'This is all Piper and Thalia's fault.'_ She glanced at them from the corner of her eye—they were giving her worried and apologetic looks.

"Miss Gardner," Mr. Williamson said again, his voice loud and clear. "You'll be serving detention with me this afternoon." Her jaw dropped. He was not serious, wasn't he? It's not like she interrupted his class on a daily basis, surely he could give her a chance or something? She was about to protest, but someone beat her to it.

"No!" Piper and Thalia cried, standing up.

"It wasn't her fault—"

"We were annoying her—"

Katie stood there, gaping at her friends. (A part of her can't help but feel smug. They kind of deserved it, anyway.) Mr. Williamson glared at them. "Be quiet," he snapped. "Detention for you three for disrupting the class. Miss Grace," he addressed Thalia with a nod, "I'm sure you know what to do."

(Of course she did. Thalia had detention with Mr. Williamson at least thrice a week. This week, this was her second one.)

The three of them sunk in their seats, looking at each other comfortingly. Katie could see Annabeth gazing at them disapprovingly. She shook her head. She might've gotten detention, but at least Thalia and Piper with her.

She was still convinced that it was all The Thief's fault.

**-o-**

Travis, on the other hand, was having a similar situation.

The 'Mystery Girl' wouldn't leave his mind, and it infuriated him. Thinking of her made him feel _so_ humiliated. When her face pops into his mind, he just feels like punching something. Or someone. Who the hell did she think she was, stuck on his mind like that? She had _no_ right. She was just a stranger. The reason for his first failure at stealing in such a long time. It was frustrating, really. He just hoped that they wouldn't meet again—although he kind of hoped that they would, because he's been plotting ways on how to get back to her.

His brother Connor, of course, being the good brother that he is, wouldn't stop making fun of him about it. It wasn't everyday that your brother fails at stealing—it was something that they were _really_ good at. Their last name was 'Stoll,' wasn't it? (It wasn't a pun or anything. _Really_.)

So throughout the week, he kept annoying Travis (not that he didn't already) which of course, pissed him off. He'd been failing at stealing more as well; he was almost caught three times, and of course, Connor never let him live it down (although it was worrying him a bit).

What was happening to him? Travis Stoll, failing at stealing! Christ, it must be the end of the world!

At least his pranking skills aren't that affected. That's what he keeps on telling himself, although Connor says otherwise.

"I mean, _dude_," Connor said as they walked through the halls of the school. "What is wrong with you? You sick or something? Because—"

Travis cut him off with a glare. "Just shut up, Connor," he snapped. He wasn't really in the mood for his brother's jibes. "And I'm just peachy, really."

Connor frowned at his brother's reply. "Are you still mad at me?" he asked. "Because I told you I was sorry, really. Or is this about that incident at the park? Because bro, you gotta forget about it."

"I couldn't," Travis replied with a sigh. Connor smirked.

"Aw, is Travis finally in love at last?" he teased, nudging him with his elbow. Travis stared at him with a look of disbelief on his face. "Seriously, Connor? Where the hell would you get that idea?" (Although, she was kind of attractive, now that you think of it._ Kind of_. But no, he _definitely_ did not harbor any feelings for her.)

His brother just laughed, and as they were on their way to their next class, Connor kept singing love songs. It was pissing him off.

"Damn it, Connor! _Just shut up!_" Travis hissed. He's really not in the mood for his brother's teasing. And right now, he is trying his best not to slam his brother in a locker and punch him in the face.

Connor raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Geez, you gotta calm down. C'mon, we've got class with Mr. Williamson next."

"And what's so good with having a class with that stupid old man?" Travis asked, making a face. Mr. Williamson was one of the most boring teachers ever, and Travis hated him especially. That old man was always looking for ways to send him and his brother to detention, even if they haven't done anything wrong in his class.

Connor grinned and clapped him in the back. "We could do some planning!" he exclaimed, his eyes twinkling. "You know, for our next pranks and victims and stuff. Oh, look, here we are."

They entered the classroom with Mr. Williamson glaring at them.

"Mr. Stoll and Mr. Stoll." Travis resisted the urge to snort. Connor coughed to hide his laugh. "Five minutes late again, I see." The both of them shrugged. "Now, please get seated so that we may continue our lesson."

_'No detention yet,'_ Travis thought to himself proudly as he took a seat behind his brother. Not that Mr. Williamson would, he was used to them being late in his class, anyway.

The two of them immediately brought out their notebooks—not for note-taking, but of course, for planning. As Mr. Williamson droned on and on about World War II (or was it The Cold War?), Travis and Connor were busy scribbling in their notebooks planning the mischief that they would cause. They kept passing pages of their notebooks, or sometimes their notebooks themselves.

They didn't notice their classmates' eyes in them, or their teacher approaching them.

"Stolls!" Mr. Williamson's voice was loud and caused the both of them to flinch. "Passing notes in my class, are we?" He grabbed Connor's notebook, which was on Travis' hands and flipped through its pages. He did the same thing with Travis's notebook.

Travis and Connor gave each other exasperated looks. Detention with Mr. Williamson again, probably. They always did the same thing. They were getting sick of it, really.

"Detention with me this afternoon."

_See?_

The both of them nodded and sat on their chairs. Mr. Williamson didn't give their notebooks back. Shame, really. It was two weeks worth of pranking and stealing. All their efforts gone to waste. Was it Travis' bad luck? Throughout the week he was starting to believe that he was cursed.

It was all Mystery Girl's fault, he told himself. She was his bad luck charm. Ever since he'd ran into her, he'd been failing at the things he's good at. God forbid if he ever saw her again. He's definitely sure that he does _not_ want to see her again.

Little does he know—that The Thief and Mystery Girl's path are going to cross. Soon enough.

* * *

**A/N:** So what do you guys think? Were there any mistakes? Please do tell me, also, I hope you enjoyed it! Also, props to you if you discover something! ;-) It's kind of important to the story. _Kind of_. Feel free to message me if you're confused about something, though!

Au revoir!

**Edit:** Slightly edited 5/2/2013 (Hopefully, not much errors and mistakes are left in this one. Ugh.)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** To clear things up, _yes_, Travis & Katie do go to the same school! If Mr. Williamson didn't give it away, I don't know what did. Congratulations to _AmianNatan4ever_ for figuring it out first! As foir_ SwiftieClaire_'s review: they're not in love... _yet_. [evil laugh] Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, follows and whatnot, you guys! Hopefully, you'll like this chapter. I had to rewrite it two times because the first one was too long. This chapter has more dialogue, and yes, more Tratie!

(Also, I've edited chapters 1 & 2, don't worry, nothing major, just corrections here and there and an addition of some words and whatnot. I couldn't help myself. Ehehehe.)

**Disclaimer:** I thought we've established the fact that I'm not Rick Riordan, yeah?

* * *

**of thieves and coincidences — chapter three**  
_in which travis and katie meet again, and a little tension rises_

* * *

As soon as the bell rang after the last period, Katie rushed out of the classroom as fast as she could.

Ever since history class that morning, she'd been dreading the moment she has to enter Mr. Williamson's office for detention. It made her so uncomfortable and easy throughout the day that she barely paid attention to her teachers. (She knew that she was making a huge deal about it, her friends even said so, but it's not like she could help it—she wasn't really the kind of person who had detention a lot.)

She saw her friends—Thalia was with Annabeth and was arguing with Annabeth's boyfriend, Percy Jackson. Piper was chatting with her boyfriend Jason Grace and she could see Leo Valdez with them, waving at her enthusiastically with a grin on his face. She smiled slightly and waved back, and walked over to them.

"Hey flower girl," Leo greeted. Katie glared at the nickname. _'Flower girl?'_ She almost snorted. He raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, love, but everyone gets nicknames!" he exclaimed. She rolled her eyes.

"But couldn't you think of anything better?" she retorted. "I mean, of all things—"

"Well, sorry, Kit-Kat, but the nicknames are stuck." He stuck his tongue out. "No negotiations." She rolled her eyes. "So I heard you got detention with Beauty Queen and Pinecone Face over here," he motioned to Piper and Thalia who were busy talking with Jason, Annabeth and Percy. "With Williamson as well—nothing to worry about it though," he added, seeing the slightly terrified look on her face. "His detentions usually suck."

(Of course he'd know that. Katie didn't share a lot of classes with him, but she knew that he got in trouble. _A lot_.)

She sighed. "Yeah, well, hopefully it would go well," she replied. "And speaking of it, we really should be going. Can you um, call them? I'd… er, y'know, rather not interrupt them and…" she trailed off, hoping he would get the idea.

"Yeah, sure!" he nodded. "Oi, Beauty Queen! Pinecone Face! Flower girl here is calling you for detention." She almost groaned. Any nickname but that, _please_.

Thalia said something which made Percy scoff in which she hisses something in reply, then saunters off to Katie. Annabeth waved at Katie and Percy gave her a thumbs up. Piper kissed Jason on the cheek and said goodbye. Leo just winked at them.

"So," Thalia started. "Are you guys ready for—dun dun dun dun—the detention of doom?" She smirked.

Katie groaned. "Ugh, you guys, let's just head over to Mr. Williamson's office to get this over with." She wasn't really in the mood. All she knows is that she's feeling really terrible and nervous. Hopefully, this would the last detention that she would ever experience throughout her high school life. (It was kind of unlikely, though. Her friends were kind of rebellious at times and she kind of knew this would happen.)

Piper wrapped her arms around her friends' shoulders. "Well, what are we waiting for, then?" she asked, grinning. "Off to Mr. Williamson's office we go!"

**-o-**

Travis couldn't wait for his detention with Mr. Williamson.

He hated detentions usually, because he thought they were pointless and stupid—especially Mr. Williamson's detentions, since he always made him do mundane things. But this one was different, he was sure of it. He and Connor had a plan, and of course, they were sure it would succeed. They _are_ the masters of mischief, aren't they? (He's just hoping that his bad luck or his curse or whatever it is that's been happening to him throughout the week would spare him today and give him a chance. He'd rather not humiliate himself in front of his brother. _Again_.)

(And what was the plan? Well, they had detention with Mr. Williamson. And their notebooks, which were full of their plans and ideas and pranks were with him. Did you really think that they would let all their work and efforts go to waste? No, they _won't_.)

Will Solace approached him, and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey Stolls," he greeted. He was grinning and holding a basketball in his hands. "Will you be gracing us with your presence at the court today?"

Connor shook his head. "Nah, we've got detention," he replied. "With you know, as usual, Williamson." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, that's a shame," Will sighed. "It'd be nice having you on my team. Damn, I'll be losing against Mason again." He groaned, which made Connor and Travis laugh.

Travis patted him in the shoulder. "Maybe next time, man."

Will beamed at him, his blue eyes twinkling. "Sure, sure," he agreed. "And please try not to get any more detentions!" He waved them goodbye and walked away. Travis shook his head, grinning.

"So, Travis, I'm sure you know what to do?" Connor asked as he closed his locker. He looked so damn smug and confident, which made Travis roll his eyes. "Once I give the signal—"

"—I'll make sure to distract Williamson, so you could get back our stuff," he continued, smirking at his brother. Of course, he knew what to do. He's Travis _freaking_ Stoll! "Dude, I _know_ what to do. You've told me a million times, you don't have to remind me, okay?"

Connor raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, I'm just making sure," he said, shrugging. "I mean, you've been rather crappy at everything the past week so... but no offense," he added, seeing the look on his face.

He winced. "Must you remind me?" he groaned. He was pretty sure Connor was enjoying this week, because he had done nothing but fail at practically everything he was doing and make a complete fool out of himself and Connor had done nothing but laugh at him because was an ass like that, but that's what brothers do best, don't they? (He just hoped his brother wouldn't use it as blackmail material or anything. God, _no_.)

"How could I not, dear brother?" Connor joked. He pulled Travis' arm and started walking. "C'mon, let's get this detention over with, so we could play some basketball with Will!"

Travis laughed. He was definitely in a better mood today. "They'd probably start without us, Connor," he replied.

"I don't care, dude!"

**-o-**

On the hallway to Mr. Williamson's office (which was also the history class room), Katie and her friends walked, chatting with each other. Piper was just telling the story of how Leo flirted with a girl and got dumped in front of the class. Thalia wouldn't stop laughing, and Katie managed a few chuckles, though she was feeling a bit sorry for him (he was probably used to it, anyway, but she really couldn't help it!)

On the opposite direction, Travis and Connor were doing the same, and Connor was just telling Travis about his latest prank on Clarisse La Rue during gym class—the girl wasn't too pleased with that and almost beat Connor up. Fortunately, he managed to escape, though Clarisse would probably have her revenge on some other time. Travis wouldn't stop laughing and kept warning his brother to "hide his sorry ass" and that he wouldn't be helping him in case Clarisse managed to get hold of him.

As they walked, Katie wasn't paying attention to where she was going, so she didn't see the two boys in front of her. She just kept talking to her friends. They were getting nearer, until they were just a meter away. "Katie, look out!" Piper yelled at the same time as Connor said, "Hey, watch where you're going!" But Katie kept walking until she heard her friend. She turned her head forward, bumping into something—or some_one_. The two of them fell on the floor… with her on top of him. She cried out in pain, as did the other person.

"I—um—I'm so _so_ sorry!" she said, scrambling off him and helping him up. "I wasn't watching where I was going, that was so clumsy of me! I'm really—_you?_" She dropped his hand and stared at him in shock. That curly brown hair, those blue eyes—it was The Thief. What the hell was he doing here? This has got to be some kind of joke, isn't it? _Him?_ Of all people?

Travis looked at her, disbelief written all over his face. "You!" he said angrily. He would save his shock for later. Right now, he was angry at the Mystery Girl that was his bad luck charm. "What the hell are you doing here?" He glared at her.

Their company looked at each other confusedly. "Stolls," Thalia called out, stepping forward and grabbing Katie's arm. "You know Katie here?" Connor shook his head. Travis kept glaring at Katie.

"Dude," Connor muttered to Travis, nudging him, "do you know that Katie girl? How come you never mentioned?" Travis didn't reply.

"Oh god," Katie groaned, shaking her head. "Sweet Jesus. I can't believe this. _You_ of all people." She put her head in her hands. "What have I done to deserve this?" Piper was just rubbing her back comfortingly, though she was as confused as Thalia. Connor kept pestering Travis but he wouldn't reply.

"You should watch where you're going next time," Travis told Katie, his tone angry. He just couldn't believe his luck that she was going to the same school as him, of all things. She was definitely his curse, his bad luck charm.

Katie opened her mouth to reply, but a door suddenly opened and Mr. Williamson stepped out—had they been standing outside his office all this time?—with a slightly irritated look on his face.

"What is going on here?" he asked, folding his arms and looking at five of them warily.

"Er, we're here for detention…?" Connor said, taking a few steps back. Katie glanced at him slightly, feeling more terrible as usual. _'Great,'_ she thought. _'I'm stuck with _him_ for detention. This is really the best day _ever_.'_

Piper nodded her head. "Yep, us too," she agreed. Travis resisted the urge to groan. He was stuck with _that_ for detention! _'Can this day get any worse?'_ he thought bitterly.

Mr. Williamson pursed his lips. "Very well then," he said finally. He motioned for them to get in the classroom. "Next time though, please avoid making a noise outside my classroom," he said as they finally got inside the room and took their seats. "Obviously, I'm working, and I'd rather not be disturbed." As soon everyone was settled in their seats, he cleared his throat. "Ah, yes, detention." He cleared his throat again. "Unfortunately, I've been rather busy grading papers, so I've opted to cancel your detentions for today."

Travis and Connor's faces fell. They gave each other withering looks. Their plan immediately _failed_, damn it. (Travis secretly blamed that girl that was seating a few tables away from him.) Piper and Thalia pumped their fists in the air, standing up and whooping. Katie just gripped on her bag tightly and breathed out in relief. _'No detention,'_ she thought happily. _'Hell yes!'_

Mr. Williamson glared at all of them. The girls fell silent, sitting back down in their chairs. "As I was saying," he looked at them pointedly. "You will have no detention for today." Katie gave her friends triumphant looks. "But—" Their faces fell, and they stared at the teacher. "—Ms. Markham, I'm sure you all know her as our librarian, has suggested that I send all of you to the library and assist her in organizing the books in the library."

All of them groaned.

**-o-**

Mr. Williamson kicked them out of his classroom and seven minutes later, they ended up at the library. Ms. Markham all greeted them with a smile on her kind face as they entered. "It's really nice that you could help me," she said, her gray eyes twinkling. "It's truly appreciated."

She decided to pair them off, since there weren't that much books, and it seemed easier to return the books back to their shelves with someone. There were just three stacks of them that went up to Katie's waist—and she was 5'4. Thalia decided to go solo saying, "Piper would just pester me and I don't want to be around Stoll, thanks."

Piper ended up getting partnered with Connor, so Katie was left with Travis.

The both of them weren't too pleased with that.

"I can't believe I'm stuck with you," Katie muttered, feeling slightly annoyed. Of all people, why him? Why not Piper? Maybe his brother didn't seem bad. Just not _him_.

"Well, I can't believe I'm stuck with you either," Travis snapped in reply. She glared at him.

They were silent for a few minutes, with Katie piling books into shelves, taking a few of them out, and arranging them the way Ms. Markham had instructed them to do. Travis was just shoving books into spaces between the shelves, not even bothering to arrange them. This irked Katie.

"You're supposed to arrange them, you idiot," she said sharply, grabbing a book and placing it where it should be. "Weren't you listening to Ms. Markham? It's not that hard, really."

He just grunted in reply. He didn't really care, and he didn't even pay attention to what the librarian was saying. He just wanted to get over this, and get away from _her_.

"Are you even paying attention to me?" she asked in exasperation. "Hey, Stoll!"

He glared at her. "How'd you know my name?" he asked, eyeing her.

"That's what and Ms. Markham and Thalia called you," she replied, rolling her eyes. Was he an idiot, or what?

Travis didn't reply. Silence passed between them for a few minutes, and it wasn't the comforting, peaceful kind. It was the uncomfortable, awkward one. It was the silence that was filled with too much tension that you could cut it with a knife. It made her feel so uneasy and strange. He was feeling the same.

She decided to break it.

"So," she started awkwardly, shifting her feet as she arranged the books on the shelves. "Um. That day on the park." She paused slightly and she looked at him, feeling slightly nervous. She hoped that it didn't show. "Why did... er, why did you do it?" she asked.

"Because I want to," was his immediate reply. It annoyed her. _'Because he wanted to?'_ She almost snorted. You don't go around stealing people's money like that!

"That's not an excuse," she said.

"I don't give a damn," he replied. He really didn't. She could feel anger bubbling inside her—what a jerk!

Katie shoved a book angrily. "What the hell is your problem?" she snapped, turning to face him. "I'm just trying to be nice or whatever—and I'm trying to have a decent conversation with you, and the least you could do is stop being an asshole—"

Travis glared at her. "The least you could do," he sneered at her, "is to stop being so damn annoying!"

She scoffed. "Annoying? _Me?_ Don't shit me, Stoll," she spat. Her eyes flashed dangerously. (A small part of him couldn't help but think that she looked hot when she was mad, but damn it, it wasn't the time for those thoughts. She was being annoying and he was so pissed off. ) "I'm the one who's trying to be nice, dammit!"

"Well I don't want you to be nice!" he snarled, throwing a book at the shelf and taking a step closer at her. "Hell, I don't want you around _at all!_ Just shut up and leave me the hell alone!"

She took a step closer to him—they were inches away from each other.

"You are the biggest douchebag I have ever met!" she said, her voice rising. "I _hate_ you," she spat. To hell with him. She really hated him. Who the hell cared if he was slightly attractive with his mischievous smile that she only saw once and his curly brown hair and his sparkling blue eyes? He was a complete dickhead, honestly. "I _swear_, I really hate you."

She was so close that he could see hazel specks in her green irises, their faces inches away from each other. What the hell was he thinking? This was seriously not the time for that—for checking her out! He couldn't believe that a girl like her could be so damn infuriating! And to think that he thought she was pretty!

"Yeah? Well, the feeling's mutual."

She threw a book at him and stormed out of the library.

* * *

**A/N:** Um. That's it. That's chapter three. Any thoughts, comments, suggestions, violent reactions, mistakes, whatever? Hope you liked it. C:


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **HELLO YES HI I AM REALLY SORRY IF THIS TOOK TOO LONG! I hope you guys didn't wait too much. :-( But anyways, again, thank you for all the reviews! I appreciate it a lot, they've been really helpful in motivating me to continue writing. Because I've been _really_ lazy lately. Hehe. I've been having a bit of writer's block for this fic but I've got like a million plot bunnies running around for other stuff. Sigh. Hope you like this chapter, anyway!

**Disclaimer:** Still not Rick Riordan. And I never will be.

* * *

**of thieves and coincidences — chapter four**  
_in which travis and katie are being weird and everyone is trying to get some answers_

* * *

As soon as Katie left the library, she left her friends and immediately went home. She was just so, _so_ mad. Piper and Thalia kept sending her text messages and calling her—apparently, when she left, the two of them aren't done with arranging the books (and so was she and Travis, but really, she couldn't give a damn). They were worried and kept asking her what happened and if she was okay and whatnot. 11 texts and 5 missed calls from Piper and 9 texts and 4 missed calls from Thalia, she just kept ignoring them. In her frustration, she just ended up throwing her phone against the wall of her bedroom and burying her face in her pillows, her screams muffled.

(She bets that her Facebook was filled with messages as well, and her Twitter would be filled with mentions because of course, they were her friends and they were really concerned and would do _anything_ to find out why. And help her, of course. But right now she wasn't in the mood.)

When she came down for dinner, her parents kept asking her why she was such in a sour mood—"You've never frowned this much," her mother had said. "Katie, dear, if there's something wrong, you could always tell us," her father said, smiling at her comfortingly. She just shook her head, saying that she didn't want to talk about it. Her parents just gave her worried looks. Dinner was a bit awkward and quiet that night, save for the loud chatters of her siblings.

When she went up back to her bedroom, she opened her laptop and logged into her Facebook account. Her inbox was filled with private messages from Piper and Thalia, asking about her. There was one from Annabeth as well, and from Leo too. She just sighed, shut down her laptop and buried herself with lots of schoolwork.

"I really hate Travis Stoll," she muttered, glaring as her pen stabbing the pages of her textbook. "I hate hate _hate_ him."

**-o-**

"Dude," Connor said as they got out of the library. "What the hell was that all about? You were all screaming and stuff. What happened?"

What happened? Travis didn't know either. All he knows is that she is the most annoying, infuriating girl he's ever met. He didn't know what to tell his brother, so he shrugged. "Dunno either," he said. Connor gave him a strange look.

When they got home, he immediately shut himself in his bedroom. Thank god he and Connor didn't share a room. He just felt so irritated! Who gave her the right to walk out of the library and leave him alone to arrange all the books on his own? She didn't even have any right to be mad at all! If there was anyone who should be mad, it was _him_. She was the one who kept annoying him, and he got pissed off. _Right?_

In his frustration, he threw all his pillows on the floor, across the room. Who gave her the right to get under his skin? That annoying little bi—

A knock came from the door. It was Connor, asking if he was alright. He rushed to the door and opened it, glaring at his brother.

"What do you want?" he snapped. Connor opened his mouth to reply, but before he could even say anything, Travis slammed the door at his face and locked it. He lied down in bed, covering his face with a pillow.

"Katie Gardner is officially the bane of my existence," he muttered angrily. "Stupid girl."

**-o-**

The next morning, when she arrived at school, Piper and Thalia, accompanied by Annabeth, came by her locker and bombarded her with thousands of questions.

"_Kaatiiee_, why are you ignoring our calls and messages?" Piper complained, pouting at her. "Are you okay, though? I mean, what happened yesterday? Did Travis do something to you? Because I swear, I will—"

(She wasn't listening. She didn't even hear her friends come to her. Her mind was just not working properly. She didn't even get enough sleep last night! She was up until 1AM because she couldn't sleep. Reasons why? They were probably obvious, damn it.)

Thalia shushed her. "Look, Gardner, we're just being good friends—"

"—And you're probably getting annoyed by them now," Annabeth cut in, rolling her eyes at Thalia and Piper, "But we're your friends and we just couldn't help but feel worried for you, okay? Talk to us if you need to."

"C'mon, Kates!" Piper said, grabbing her arm. "You can tell us anything. If you need us to beat the crap out of him for you, we're gonna do it."

Katie took a deep breath and sighed, closing her locker. She turned around, and her friends were looking at expectantly. "Oh, hey guys," she muttered, giving her friends a wave. "Didn't see you there. Isn't it a _lovely_ morning?"

Her friends gaped at her. "All this time we were talking," Thalia said slowly. "And you _WEREN'T LISTENING?!_"

She shrugged, smiling apologetically. "Sorry guys. It's just—well, I didn't get much sleep last night," she said. It wasn't really a lie, isn't it? She really did not get enough sleep last night. To prove her point, she yawned.

Piper looked at her worriedly. "Are you okay? Are you sick? Or are you—"

"I'm _fine_," Katie cut her off. "Really, I am. I just want sleep." She sighed.

"Look guys," Annabeth said. "Let's just give Katie some time. And space, probably, since you two," she looked pointedly at Piper and Thalia, "have been questioning her non-stop. She'll talk to us in her own time." Katie beamed at her, feeling grateful. She was glad for Annabeth—at least she wasn't pestering her.

Piper wrapped her arms around her. "We understand, Kitkat." Katie groaned._What is with Leo and Piper and nicknames?_ "But you _will_ talk to us, okay? When you're ready."

Thalia nodded. "But no pressure," she grinned. Annabeth shook her head, smiling slightly.

She nodded at her friends and smiled.

And then the bell rang, signaling first period. Too bad, Katie didn't have her first period with any of her friends, but she can manage. (Did she even share a class with him? God, please, _no_.)

**-o-**

Travis was not in the mood. Sure, he got enough sleep last night but that was it. He didn't have a good sleep. _At all_. That stupid girl haunted him in his sleep—with her, his dreams turned into nightmares. That morning, he woke up in a sweat, feeling horrified. Why the hell was she even in his dreams? She shouldn't be! _She had no right_.

"So," Connor started, nudging his brother. He opened his locker and grabbed his things "Are you gonna tell me what happened yesterday? Y'know, with that Kathy girl and all."

Travis shook his head, saying nothing. His back rested against his locker. Nope, not. And wasn't the girl's name Katie? Not that he cared. He really was not in the mood. He's been having the shittiest weeks of his life, and he'd rather have his brother stop irritating him for a while, thanks. (He knows Connor is just worried or whatever, but right now, he is trying his best not to strangle him.)

"Are you going to talk to me or not?" Connor grumbled, scowling st him. "What's wrong with you, anyway? You've been Mr. Grouchy-Face this past few weeks. What's been happening? You're not telling me anything anymore."

_Right_. He remembered having "no secrets between us" kind of promise with his brother. He felt guilty, but it's not like he'll be keeping it from him. He's going to tell him sooner or later, anyway. He opened his mouth to reply, but Will appeared, accompanied by Michael Yew.

"Good morning, Stolls!" he beamed, his teeth showing. _'This guy is way too cheerful ,'_ Travis couldn't help but wonder. _'Does he ever stop smiling?'_ Michael muttered a hello before striking up a conversation with Connor. Travis couldn't bring himself to eavesdrop, as much as he wanted to.

"So, is Stoll #2—" He clapped Travis at the shoulder. "—done acting like a girl yet?" Michael snorted, trying to hide his laugh. Connor burst out laughing. Travis glared at all of them. (Oh, how he wished that looks could kill!)

"Very funny, you guys," Travis said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at them. "_Very_ funny." He glared at Will. "Also, I'm Stoll #1, Connor's #2."

"No, I'm #1!" Connor argued, glaring at him mockingly. Travis just stuck out his tongue at him.

All of them laughed.

Then the bell rang, so Will and Michael bid their goodbyes. Travis, realizing he still hasn't taken his things out yet, opened his locker and grabbed his books for the first period. Worst day so far, and the only thing he could hope for is to not run into _her_.

"See ya later, bro," Connor said as he patted his shoulder, heading onto the opposite corridor. He almost called out, wondering why he wasn't walking with him, but then he realized he didn't have first period with him. What a shame.

**-o-**

Katie ran, rushing to the halls leading to the cafeteria. She and her friends always sat and ate together every lunch time and now she was ten minutes late, because Mrs. Hudson wouldn't stop talking until she finished her discussion about quadratic equations and her classroom was just _so_ far from the cafeteria. It was really tiring. And she was getting hungrier.

She checked her watch. _'11:43AM,'_ it said. "Stupid math," she muttered angrily. "And quadratic equations! This is _crap._ Ugh, I should be eating right now!"

The halls were empty, obviously, since everyone was at the cafeteria, eating their lunches—she was thankful for it as well, meaning she wouldn't bump into anybody in her rush to get to the cafeteria. But that wasn't always the case.

She ran into someone—a guy in a black hoodie—their eyes briefly meeting as she sprinted away from him. "Sorry!" she called out, but she didn't know if she meant it because those eyes, damn it. It was _him._ Why does she keep running into him? Is he stalking her or something?

She shook those thoughts off and entered the cafeteria. It was all driving her crazy, to be honest. Travis, her friends, all those time running into him… the list goes on. From their table, she could see Piper and Leo, waving like maniacs, grinning at her. Annabeth, Percy, Thalia and Jason were there too. She gave them a small wave and walked to them.

"You're late," Thalia said simply as she approached their table. She was looking at Katie expectantly. "It's what—11:47 or something! Lunch started ten minutes ago!"

Katie sat down next to Annabeth, not paying attention to her friend's question. She was still busy thinking of everything else. Annabeth poked her arm. She blinked, looking at her friends in confusion. "Um, what?"

Thalia sighed and repeated the question. "Oh, right." Katie shrugged. "Mrs. Hudson refused to dismiss us after the bell rang. She extended her discussion for five more minutes and… yeah."

"Ooh, quadratic equations, right?" Percy asked her. She nodded. "Man, that's boring." Everyone nodded in agreement, except for Annabeth who was shaking her head at all of them.

"Katie," Piper said, looking at her worriedly. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you seem pretty out it lately… y'know, it's like you're head's constantly up in the clouds. Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah," Thalia agreed, nodding. "And you still have to tell us that thing about Stoll."

Katie looked at them and bit her lip nervously. Would she tell them or not? Ugh, she needs more time. "Um, you guys," she said suddenly, standing up. "I'll just go get some food. I'm… er, kinda hungry right now?" And she fled from their table, ignoring Thalia's complaints of "Why the hell is she not telling us?!" and Annabeth shushing her.

She got herself a tray of food—just a plate of fruit salad and a bottle of water. She didn't feel like eating a lot. On her way back to their table, she saw _him _looking at her (well, more like glaring at her), so she glared at him for a moment and looked away. She will _not_ let him make her feel worse and ruin her day. Nope.

As she got back to their table, Thalia was frowning at her, drumming her fingers against the table, Piper and Annabeth was looking at her expectantly and the boys were just generally confused.

"Well?" Annabeth asked. "I'm getting tired of these two," she gestured to Piper and Thalia who just stuck their tongues out at her, "of asking questions, so will you tell us everything?"

Katie sat down and sighed. "I am never going to eat," she groaned. Thalia glared at her. "_Fine._ You know what happened in the park? Well…"

She told them everything. Annabeth was right, she was getting sick of all the questions, anyway.

**-o-**

This day was officially the worst. For Travis, anyway. He'd done nothing but mess things up, made a complete fool out of, and embarassed himself. It was so humiliating and frustrating—he's just thankful that he didn't share a lot of classes with Connor that day. Or Will. Because knowing those assholes, they'd probably laugh at him endlessly for it.

And speaking of them… well, it was lunch time, so he was off to see them. But he just didn't feel like it–Connor would just pester him with his never-ending questions and Will would probably just make fun of him. He just didn't feel like putting up with them right now, because seriously, he just might end up punching them in the face. (He's trying his best to keep away from trouble, as of now.)

So here he was, walking slowly to the empty halls leading to the cafeteria, his hood up, and the music of Fall Out Boy blasting through his earphones.

"Isn't this lovely," he muttered to himself, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. He's been feeling kind of emo, but hey, give him a break! He's having the most horrible weeks of his seventeen years of existence, he has the right to feel that way.

Then suddenly someone bumps into him.

It was a girl with dark, wavy brown hair and—damn, it's _her_. Recognition flashes in her eyes, and then she's sprinting away, yelling a "sorry" but he really didn't care. It's _her!_ Why does she keep appearing everywhere? It's frustrating him really.

"Stupid girl." He glares at the floor.

Minutes later, he entered the cafeteria and sits by the table where Connor and Will is. Michael was there too, and so was Jake Mason. He ignored Connor and Will's questions, glaring at them and rolling his eyes.

"Whoa, dude," Will exclaimed, his eyes widening. He gasped dramatically. "Are you suddenly like that emo kid, Nico di Angelo? Because seriously, mate. Emo doesn't look good on you."

Connor snorted in his laughter. "Yeah! C'mon, bro. Tell us what's wrong," he said, wrapping his arm around Travis' shoulder. "Is this about what happened in the library? Because you didn't tell me what happened." He frowned slightly. "What did that girl do, anyway?"

"Library?" Will asked. "Right! You two still haven't told us what happened to your detention. Did you get your notebooks back?"

Connor shook his head. "No, but Williamson sent us to the library to sort books." He scoffed. "Can you believe that old man? And we didn't even get any chance to get our notebooks back, damn it!"

"What a shame," Michael nodded comfortingly. "There's still next time though, eh?" He gave Connor a knowing look. Connor winked at him and smirked.

"You two, honestly," Jake said in disbelief, shaking his head. Connor looked smug and Travis just shrugged.

"So what happened in the library?" Will asked excitedly, his blue eyes twinkling.

Travis grunted. "Nothing happened," he said, glaring at Connor.

"Don't listen to him," Connor said, rolling his eyes. "He's just being an ass because—well, to be honest, I don't know what happened either. We got detention with three other girls too—that pretty girl, Piper is it?" The boys nodded. "And Thalia and there was this chick named Kathy or something."

"You mean Katie, right?" Will cut in. "Pretty girl—" Travis snorted and Will glared at him. "Brown hair, green eyes?"

"Yeah, whatever," Connor said, slightly irritated. "So we got sent to the library and we got assigned to arrange books or whatever. I got paired up with that Piper girl, Thalia went solo and Travis ended up with that Katie girl." He shrugged. "Then all of the sudden, they started fighting and screaming at each other and she stormed out of the library."

Travis rolled his eyes. "She was being annoying," he said, looking around. He saw her, carrying a tray, walking back to her table with her friends. He glared at her. She looked at him for a moment and glared back, and then looked away, carrying on walking. _'What a pest.'_

"Well, that was pretty…" Jake trailed off, shrugging. "Weird, I guess?"

"How'd you know her, anyway?" Connor asked suddenly, pulling Travis' arm. "Is she the reason why're so pissed? What'd she do? And how'd you know her before detention, anyway? When did you meet her? How—"

Travis groaned, burying his head in his arms. "Connor, dude. Just shut up," he snapped. He caught Will's eye, who was looking at him with a knowing look and a smirk on his lips. He glared at him. Honestly, he is such an annoying bastard. (Sometimes, Travis wondered how he's friends with that guy.)

"But you're not answering my questions!" Connor argued. "Are you in—"

"Fine!" Travis said. "I'll answer your questions. If it makes you so damn happy." He glared at the table.

"Aren't you going to eat though?" Michael asked him, raising his eyebrow. Travis shook his head.

"Not hungry. And I have to answer Connor's questions, anyway." He narrowed his eyes at his brother, that little shit. Connor just smirked at him.

So he told them of everything, from everything that happened from the park to the detention at the library yesterday.

**-o-**

(Minutes later, Piper's all, "Oh my god, are you serious?" and Connor is chuckling, shaking his head saying, "No way, man. Seriously?"

Connor's probably just going to tease him mercilessly for it. And as for Katie, thank god that she didn't tell them that she couldn't stop thinking about him. Piper would have a field day. And she's not in love with him, anyway.)

* * *

**A/N:** Well, how was it? Hope you guys enjoyed it. I hope I kept them IC. :-)) Wow, my chapters are getting longer. Hope it's worth the wait! I've got a question for you all, though. Notice how every linebreak, it changes from Katie's POV to Travis's? Well, um, I was just wondering if it bothers you or something, because I could totally change it and have one of their POVs on each chapter (y'know, Katie's POV in a chapter, Travis in the next). Please let me know what you think, yeah? C:


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Well! I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I had a bit of writer's block and I'm really sorry! :C Hopefully, you'll like this one, though. We'll be seeing more Tratie for the next few chapters, yay! I've got it all planned out, really, but idk, I still have no idea where I'm going with this. I think you and I both now how this is going to end, though. x] Hopefully, you're all still holding on to this fic!

**Disclaimer: **I will never be Rick Riordan, 'kay?

* * *

**of thieves and coincidences — chapter five**  
_in which travis and katie meet in a café and they're driving each other crazy  
_

* * *

It was _finally_ a Saturday, something Katie is grateful for. She could finally escape her friends and _him_, at least for two days. She had been waiting for this moment, really. Ever since she her friends three days ago everything, she felt a bit more better, like a weight has been lifted off her. Piper and Thalia also stopped asking questions, much to everyone's relief. (That didn't stop them from giving Katie a few weird looks though.)

She'd been trying to avoid him for those three days as well—it was kind of hard, as they were going to the same school (she's still really irked about that, to be honest). But well, she managed! So this Saturday, she decided that she needed a little relaxation, a little peace. And a celebration too, perhaps.

So she decided to go to another favorite place of hers—Café Delphi.

Café Delphi wasn't far from her house—maybe thirty minutes away, more or less—so she ended up walking. There was something in the back of her mind that was nagging her: What if she runs into him again? They go to the same school, after all. Maybe he lived nearby. A thought struck her and made her feel so horrified—what if they were neighbors all along, and she never realized?

She mentally slapped herself. "What the hell is wrong with you, Katie?" she muttered, walking faster. The café wasn't too far now. "You should be relaxing or something, not worrying yourself with all this!" (She really hated herself sometimes.)

Her phone buzzed in her pocket—it was a message from a Piper.

**_To:_**_ Katie Gardner_**_  
From: _**_Piper McLean_**_  
_****_Sent: _**_4:57PM, APR 19 2013_

_hey kt! i need help with my homework in bio. annabeth refuses 2 help me :-(_

She sighed. An by help, of course she meant what the answers are. _Again_.

She texted back:

**_To:_**_ Piper McLean_**_  
From: _**_Katie Gardner_**_  
_****_Sent: _**_4:58PM, APR 19 2013_

_Im out rn so can we talk l8r?_

She didn't even bother waiting for a reply, so she pocketed her phone and hurried to the café. (She really wanted a latte right now. And a croissant as well.) Minutes later, she reached the café. She grasped the door and entered. It was cool inside, and she could smell the coffee in the air. _'Hurray,'_ she cheered silently. _'I've reached the café without even running into_ anyone _at all. This is an accomplishment!'_

Katie walked towards the counter, her hand gripping the strap of her small bag. There were a few people in line, for she was the third—a middle-aged woman was having her order taken by the counter, behind him was a teenage boy her age, who was slowly trying to reach the woman's pocket—

_Wait, what?_

**-o-**

Just a few more inches.

Just a few more, and Travis would be able to nick that lady's purse. Of course, that wasn't his only intention by being in Café Delphi—pick-pocketing poor ladies. He just needed a break, all the schoolwork was stressing him out (he was _really_ tempted to rip it all, or chuck it in a trash bin). Connor, being the annoying idiot he is, wasn't helping either. Besides, Café Delphi wasn't that far from their apartment, it was only a few blocks away.

Café Delphi was his only escape, to say the least.

"What are you doing?" somebody behind him suddenly hisses into his ear. He froze and immediately retracted his hand and shoved into his pocket. He turned around—his eyes widened on seeing who it was.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked. It was her! That Katie girl! _Again!_ Why does she keep appearing wherever he is? It was getting annoying, really. He narrowed his eyes at her—he could see the shock in her face, and the annoyance. Of all people, damn it! It had to be _her!_

She huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "I didn't know it was a sin to go to cafés these days," she replied, rolling her eyes.

Travis opened his mouth to reply, but the lady at the counter called to him saying, "May I have your order, sir?" He glared at Katie and faced the counter.

"So?" the lady prompted, smiling at him. "What can I get for you and your lovely girlfriend over there?" She motioned to Katie.

His face flushed, and so did hers. "I—no! She's definitely _not_ my girlfriend!" he said immediately, and at the same time she said, "I'm _not_ dating him!" He glanced at her who was looking down—she probably felt embarrassed. Her and him? Bitch, _please_. No way that it would happen. Although she should be quite honored, because he's Travis Stoll and it would be an honor to date him.

"There's no way I'd be dating an asshole like him, anyway," she muttered. He glared at her and cleared his throat.

The lady at the counter gave them an apologetic smile. "Ah, yes," she said slowly. "I'm sorry for making assumptions, then. I just thought because—well, I thought you two would look really good together." Katie snorted and he scoffed. "So, may I have your order, sir...?"

"Travis. And I'll have... a regular frappuccino. And…" he trailed off, unsure. "I dunno, five pieces of that chocolate chip cookie."

The lady smiled at him. "That will be $6.75, sir. You'll have your order shortly."

Travis gave her the money, and she the change and receipt in return. He walked away and found himself a seat near the window.

**-o-**

He is the most infuriating person she's ever met.

But whatever, she will not dwell on that. Right now, all she could ever care for at the moment is getting her beloved latte and croissants. So when the lady at the counter asked her what her order is, she immediately replied with "Regular latte and ten pieces of croissant!" with an enthusiastic smile on her face. She will never let him ruin her mood.

"Are you really not dating… _him?_" the lady asked. Katie shook her head no, and gave her the payment. "We barely know each other," she said, her face falling slightly. Why would she be dating him anyway? He's an _asshole._ Totally not her type.

The lady shrugged. "Oh well," she said. "I just thought you would look together." Katie's face heated. "Here's your change, then." The lady handed her some coins and she took it. Her eyes scanned the café for a place to sit, but decided against it. She marched over to where Travis was sitting and sat on the chair across him. She figured it might be the only time she could have a decent conversation with him, so why not give him a piece of her mind?

He gave her an annoyed look. "Who gave you the right to share a seat with me?" he snapped.

She rolled her eyes. "I just need to… er, talk to you or something. Whatever."

"There's nothing to talk about," he shot back.

She glared at him. "Just let me ask questions, Jesus." She shook her head, clasping her fingers together. "I just need you to answer a few questions. One: why did you attempt to steal from me at the park that day? Two: Why are you such an asshole? Three: why are you always stealing something? And fourth—"

"Well, isn't that a lot of questions," he deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

"Just answer them," she hissed. "So?"

"Why did I steal from you?" He snorted. "You..." He trailed off, unsure. "Well, you looked easy to steal from." She raised her eyebrow but didn't say anything. "Also, I'm not being an asshole. That's just you being annoying."

Her jaw dropped. Her? Annoying? _'You have got to be kidding me,' _she thought, feeling annoyed. She was about to retort, but the lady in the counter called him to claim his coffee. He stood up. She grabbed his arm. "We are not done here," she said firmly. "You still haven't answered all of my questions and—"

"Whatever I do is none of your business," he said firmly, glaring at her. "And I'm not a criminal, in case you ask."

Her jaw dropped—_how dare he?_ He pulled away from her grip and went to the counter, grabbed his coffee and his cookies and strode out of the café, without sparing her a glance.

She was left fuming in her seat. Her phone buzzed again, but she ignored it. It was probably Piper, anyway.

**-o-**

The thought of her touch burned in his mind.

He literally couldn't stop thinking about it. He arrived at their apartment, slightly in a daze. He almost bumped into Connor and almost spilled his frappuccino—Connor wasn't _that_ pleased.

"Did anything happen?" he asked, giving his brother a strange look. They sat on the couch, his feet resting on the small table in front of them. "Your head's up in a cloud, bro."

Travis shrugged. "I saw that Katie girl in the café today," he remarked. He took a sip from his frappuccino. Connor had eaten the rest of his cookies when that little shit thought he wasn't looking. "I swear, that girl is _everywhere_."

Connor's eyebrows rose. He looked at Travis, feeling slightly confused... and interested, to say the least. "And?"

Travis groaned. "She's super annoying! Damn, really Connor. That girl is driving me crazy, not in the way that you think," he said, adding the last part, seeing the slightly smug look on Connor's face. He _is_ telling the truth, anyway. She is driving him crazy, but not in the way Connor would think it would be. He wasn't implying anything with his statement.

"Mhm, right." Connor smirked, raising his eyebrow at Travis. He looked slightly smug. Travis glared at him.

"Just shut the hell up, Connor."

"No!" Connor gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "I cannot believe this! I am agog! I am aghas—"

Travis drank the rest of his frappucino and threw the empty cup at his brother.

Connor and that stupid girl will seriously be the death of him.

**-o-**

When Katie got home, she gave some of her croissants to her step-siblings and immediately dashed to her room. She really needed to talk to someone right now, and her parents were out of the question because her mom would just tease her just because, and his dad would go all defensive and protective and she didn't _really_ need that at the moment.

But seriously, he is so goddamn infuriating! Did he seriously think that she thought he was a criminal? If he was, he probably would be in jail or something. And she was only trying to be nice—to have a decent conversation with him!

She grabbed her laptop and sat on the bed and turned it on. When it was already on, she logged into Skype—Piper was already online, thankfully. She clicked on her name and typed a message.

[5:17:31 PM] **Katie:** PIPER  
[5:17:35 PM] **Piper:** KT! :-h  
[5:18:05 PM] **Katie:** so, b4 i help u with bio, can i just say something?  
[5:18:09 PM] **Piper:** ...ok?  
[5:18:23 PM] **Katie:** I MET TRAVIS AT THE CAFE AGAIN TODAY  
[5:18:30 PM] **Katie:** I SWEAR HE IS THE BIGGEST DOUCHEBAG /EVER/  
[5:19:41 PM] **Katie:** I WAS TRYING TO BE CIVIL  
[5:19:48 PM] **Katie:** BUT HE'S SUCH AN ASSHOLE UGH  
[5:19:53 PM] **Katie:** DLFJHKSKDJHFFGJHKLSJHGL;KJDGDF  
[5:19:59 PM] **Katie:** ok thats it i was just venting out sorry :-(  
[5:20:07 PM] **Piper:** aw bb :-( do u want me to kill him 4 u?  
[5:20:14 PM] **Piper:** I STG IF HE DOES SOMETHING TO U AGAIN I WILL KILL HIM  
[5:20:24 PM]** Piper:** KILL HIM /WITH FIRE/ !  
[5:20:31 PM] **Piper:** WE R SRSLY GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS WIT DA GIRLS ON MONDAY  
[5:20:30 PM] **Katie:** aw pipes, ur such a great friend :-)  
[5:20:38 PM]** Piper**: ikr ;-)  
[5:20:44 PM] **Piper:** jk now help me with bio pls  
[5:20:51 PM] **Piper:** i wasn't paying attention ugh sorry! ms. johnson is so boring  
[5:20:56 PM] **Katie:** u r so lucky im kinda good at bio  
[5:21:02 PM] **Katie:** depending on the topic though?

And that was how Katie spent the majority of her afternoon—helping Piper with her homework. (She insisted that Katie should just tell her the answers straight-away but she refused.)

It wasn't enough to keep her mind off him, though. She was just so pissed off! She just wanted to throw a brick at his pretty little head—wait—on his not-so-pretty little head. How did he get under her skin, though? And she can't believe that she even let him, that stupid ass! It was driving her insane! _He_ was driving her insane! Why does he keep seeing him, anyway? It was like Fate was playing a trick on her or something. Whenever she doesn't want to see him, he's there!

It all felt like a cruel joke to her.

It wasn't funny, really.

She swears that if he saw his face in school on Monday, she will seriously _not_ hesitate punching him in the face. Serves him right, that little shit.

* * *

**A/N:** Omg that was it! Sorry that was kinda short though. Any thoughts? I kind a feel that the romance-ish was a bit rushed. I'm really not sure. It'd be nice to hear from you guys, though! :-D


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **First of all, I AM SO SO SO SO SO _SO_ SORRY! I know I kinda said that this chapter would be up soon, but I got so busy! And I had a bit of writer's block in the middle of writing it. I really,_ really_, am so sorry. Another thing, though, thank you for all the previous for the previous chapter! I really felt happy, you guys are inspiring me. Hopefully, I'm not letting you all down with my slow updates. (Also, I kind of started replying to reviews, so if you want to ask/complain/say anything, feel free to do so!)

P.S., I'll be busy this week, again, so I'm sorry in advance if I might not be able to update?

**Disclaimer: **lbr here, if I was Rick Riordan, I would be rich. [whispers] But I'm not.

* * *

**of thieves and coincidences — chapter six**  
_in which travis and katie finally actually have an actual, decent conversation (kinda)_

* * *

Katie was early to school that Monday. Not that she's always late for school—she just arrived at a time earlier than she usually would. School started at 7:30AM and by 6:40AM, she was already there. She didn't even know why she was so early. There were only a few students around—obviously. Who goes to school _that_ early? Her friends were there as well—even Thalia, who was usually late in the mornings. They gathered at Katie's locker. (Was there some kind of announcement that they had to be early that she missed on? Seriously.)

"Um, is there any reason why you're all so early today?" Katie asked, as she grabbed her things from her locker. Her question, however, was ignored by Thalia's complaints.

"I seriously hate you all," Thalia grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. "I just needed answers for my math homework, is that too much to ask?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Yes, Thalia, it is." Thalia stuck her tongue out at her.

"But you guys, Katie here told me something," Piper interrupted. She looked at Katie for permission and she nodded, shrugging. "Right. So Katie here told me last Saturday that she ran into that Travis guy in the café!"

Thalia raised her eyebrow but didn't say anything. Annabeth just looked at them curiously.

Katie shook her head. "It's no big deal, really," she said as she grabbed her books from her locker. "I mean, I managed to talk to him but… well, he was being an asshole, as usual." She shrugged. "I was trying to be nice but… eh."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "If I see him next time…"

"I am going to kill him!" Thalia exclaimed. "That rude little shit! How could he be such a douchebag to you, our dear Kitkat?"

Piper snickered at the nickname, to which Katie glared. "Yeah, Thals, I'll be joining you!" Piper grinned.

Annabeth shook her head, chuckling and Katie let out a laugh. "Guys, _really_. It's no big deal. I can deal with him on my own." She said the last part with a slight smirk. "He's… well, I think I can manage."

"Just tell us if you _really_ need help," Thalia said, cracking her knuckles. "I see him occassionally and—"

"Yeah, yeah," Annabeth said snidely, "We get the idea." All of them laughed.

They spent the rest of the morning talking and chatting—the boys also came around. (Thalia scrunched up her nose. Leo was flirting with her _again_, much to everyone's amusement.) Percy wouldn't stop pestering Annabeth about homework (apparently, _everyone_ just asked Annabeth for answers, though she never gave any).

As they talked, Katie's eyes couldn't help but scan the halls—there were more students by now—and thankfully, she still hasn't seen him yet. (Her heart couldn't stop skipping a few beats when she thought of him. Just... what the hell?) She couldn't help but wonder, does he come late at mornings? Is he absent for today? Is his locker near hers? God, she hoped not. But what matters right now is that he still wasn't around, and that she shouldn't bring herself to care.

_'But really,_' she thought gleefully as she talked with Leo. _'He's not here!'_

And she'd like to keep it that way.

**-o-**

Travis walked with his brother, entering the halls to school. It was a Monday _again_—the bane of his existence, he swears. He and Connor would rather not be here today- to be honest. (Doesn't matter, they'll probably cut class later, anyway.)

This morning was boring, like it usually was. He met up with his friends—Will with his stupid, beaming face, Michael being a dork and wow, Chris Rodriguez was also there, which is something because most of the time, he shows up at second period. All of them are asking for answers for their homework, which none of them have done. Well, Will did. But the rest of them didn't. (Travis had actually done only a few items, the rest, he just guessed the answers. Whatever.)

"I am doomed," complained Michael, banging his head at a locker. "Mr. Watson is going to _kill me."_

Chris snorted. "You're not the only one," he replied, patting on Michael's back. "I just don't understand why no one would give me answers—even Clarisse wouldn't give me any!"

"Told you," Will said, looking smug. He smirked at all of them. "I was offering to help you all but _no, _you were all—_"_

"Shut up, Solace," Connor hissed, glaring at him. Will shrugged.

"You are all idiots," was all Travis said. He rolled his eyes at them. At least he had _actually _done his homework, although he just guessed most of his answers. It's the thought that counts, right?

"...Travis Stoll doing homework!" Chris exclaimed dramatically. "What has the world come into?" Everyone snickered.

"Well, seems like the end of the world is four months late," Michael said, smirking.

Will and Connor raised their eyebrows at Travis, and he just rolled his eyes at them. Serves them right, those morons. (Maybe Michael is right, maybe the world _is ending.)_All this procrastination talk is annoying him, anyway.

So he grabbed Connor's bag and ran.

He didn't care where he was going, he was pretty sure Connor was already chasing after him. When he looked back for a moment, sure enough, Connor was running after him, yelling. He needed to get away from him, fast. (Why he took his brother's bag is beyond him. Maybe it was payback for all those times he was being an annoying prick? He just didn't know.)

He dodged the students in his way, yelling apologies, looking back a few times to see if Connor was still running after him. He still was. What he failed to notice was a group of students in front of him—so obviously, he ended up running into them. _One_ of them, specifically. He let out a yelp... as he fell on top of—

"_You?_" the person exclaimed angrily.

His blue eyes stared into Katie Gardner's green ones. He tried to ignore his heart that started beating fast (what the hell is wrong with you, heart?) Green, green, green. It was her again. Was this fate idea of a joke? He stumbled backwards, getting off her, grabbing Connor's bag from the floor. Her cheeks were tinged pink, and he couldn't help but think—_oh hell no, Travis. You are not thinking that way._

He didn't even help her up. He glared at her before mumbling an apology. She glared back. Her friends were staring at him—at _them_ curiously. Thalia, Annabeth and that Piper chick were glaring at him. He scowled at them.

"Oi! Travis!" Connor yelled. He was only a few lockers away. Travis' eyes widened, and he immediately started running again, before hearing Katie's yell of "Watch where you're going next time, asshat!"

He tried to ignore it—her voice, the pain that he that he still felt when he ran into her, Connor's yells of profanities. (Of course, he failed.)

**-o-**

Throughout the day, Katie really couldn't get that incident in the morning out of her mind.

It was annoying, really. It was like, it was literally stuck in her mind, like it was glued to it. She just couldn't stop thinking about it. Every time she would close her eyes, even just for a few moments, the scene would replay in her mind again and _again_. She didn't know why she couldn't stop thinking about it. (But to be honest, it wasn't the incident itself that she was so hung up on. She refused to admit it, but it was him that her mind focused on—how blue his eyes are, how it had grey specks—and she didn't even know why she noticed that—and how close he was, how her heart hammered against her chest so fast and loud that he could probably hear it. Goddammit, _no_.)

She swears that when she sees him next time, she will _really_ give him that damn punch that he so deserved. _When_, not _if_. Because she is so, _so_ sure that she will see him again. She always does, anyway.

But for some reason, throughout the day, she couldn't find him anywhere on campus. Not that she actually kept track of him. She was just… well, keeping out for him. And avoiding him at the same time. He was probably doing the same. She checked all her classes—though she knew that she didn't share any classes with him, _ever_. She also looked for him at the cafeteria, though trying her best to look like she wasn't because her friends would definitely start asking questions. And she really can't have that at the moment.

She expected that she would run into him at random places again—wherever it is in the whole campus of Olympus High that she hasn't seen him yet. Or maybe outside of school, as well. She figured that she'd see him days, a week later even.

What she didn't expect was to see him in the halls that afternoon.

It was 3:45PM—forty-five minutes after everyone in the school has been dismissed—and he was all alone, picking at a lock of some locker, trying to guess the combination. She hid herself in a wall, watching him curiously—_god_, she felt like a stalker—and after a few minutes, she got sick of watching him fail, so she marched over to where he was. When she was a good three feet away from him, she cleared his throat.

He looked up, dropping his hand, and looked at her with surprise. And then came the annoyance. "Well, well," he said rudely, looking at her suspiciously. "If it isn't Kathy."

She gave him a look of disbelief and irritation. "It's _Katie_. But whatever. What the hell are you doing here? Everyone's been dismissed," she said, folding her arms. "You shouldn't be here!"

"I should be saying the same thing," he replied, a deadpan. He rolled his eyes at her and continuing to pick the locker, guessing the combination, as if she was never there. She could feel the anger bubbling inside her—was he naturally an asshole, or what? She didn't know what she was doing, she just grabbed his hand away from the locker and socked him at the jaw. He staggered back, clutching his jaw, groaning in pain. He looked at her in disbelief. _'What,'_ she couldn't help but think so proud of herself. _'Didn't expect a girl like me to have a good hit?'_

"Stop being an asshole!" she said, frustrated. She glared at him, her hands clenched into fists. "I just—_goddammit_, I just want a decent conversation."

He stared at her blankly and she squirmed under his gaze.

"Fine," he spat after a few moments, glaring at her. "Say whatever the hell you want. You have five minutes."

Katie opened her mouth to reply but closed it. Open, close. Like a fish. Travis gave her an exasperated look, making her cheeks flush. She looked down, embarrassed. Damn it, now she finally had her chance to talk, to give him a piece of her mind. Why the hell couldn't she say anything?

"Well?" he asked impatiently. "Are you gonna say something or—"

"Why did you walk out?" she blurted out. Her cheeks burned. Her heart beat so fast. She was, for some reason, really nervous. "I-I mean," she stuttered out, making weird hand gestures. "Y-You left me and I said we weren't done and—_ugh_, you get the idea!"

He gave her a weird look before replying. "You were being annoying," he simply said.

She stared at him for a few moments, waiting for him to say anything else. He didn't.

"Is that the only reason you could give me?" she asked him, her voice emotionless. She gave him an incredulous look. "That's not even legit! _At all!_ And to be honest, that's the shittiest thing I have ever heard."

"Well, at least I gave you an answer," he shot back, annoyed.

No one said anything after that. The silence was awkward and unnerving. It made her squirm, so unnerved. _'Damn it,'_ Katie scolded herself. _'What is wrong with you, Katie? Say something!' _He began picking the lock again, she bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

"You have two minutes left," he said, shrugging.

"Why do you do that?" she blurted out. She mentally winced. Would her mouth say every damn thing before she could even think of it? He looked at her confusedly.

"Do what?"

"That," she muttered in reply, pointing to his hand, which was still picking the locker. "You... um... y'know._ Steal_ things. Is that supposed to be a pun because of your last name or something? I mean—" She took a deep breath and shut up, still flushing. "Um. Yeah. I was rambling. But. Yeah. Why do you do that?"

He snorted when she mentioned the last name thing. "It's _not_," he said simply. "It's a hobby. Or something. Why do you even ask? It's none of your business, remember?"

She glared at him, not replying. _Fine_, it wasn't her business. She was just curious, is all. Curiosity wasn't a sin, is it? He didn't have to be a complete douchebag over it. Really.

He pursed his lips. He stopped guessing the combination for a few moments, tapping his foot, and started picking the lock again. "Thirty seconds left."

Katie was silent._ Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight. Twenty-seven. Twenty-six. Twenty-five. Twenty-four. Twenty-three. Twenty-two. _She was about to say something but—

"What are you two doing here?" a voice behind them suddenly said. "School ended fifty minutes ago."

Katie turned around, her eyes widening. _Oh shit._ It was their vice principal, Mr. Brunner. She felt her blood run cold. Travis didn't seem so fazed.

"I—" Katie she started, the words stumbling from her mouth. Was her brain and her mouth failing her this afternoon? All this being speechless thing was starting to get annoying. "We were... um... just discussing homework." She winced mentally at how lame her excuse was. She glanced sideways at Travis, who was nodding—_why isn't he saying anything?_—and wrung her fingers together.

Mr. Brunner look at them suspiciously, his eyes narrowed, but he seemed to buy their—her excuse, though not quite believing it. "Very well, then," he said. "You two better get going now, Mr. Stoll and...?" He gestured at Katie.

"G-Gardner," Katie forced out. "Katie Gardner, sir." She bit her lip. _'Oh god,'_ she thought._ 'I hope I'm not screwed.'_

Mr. Brunner gave them a small smile. "Right, Ms. Gardner and Mr. Stoll. As I've said, school ended fifty minutes ago, and unless you have any special permission or detention, you are not allowed to stay." Then he walked away. Katie released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"That was close," she muttered, feeling relieved.

Travis scoffed. "Psh, that old man? He isn't _that_ strict." He shook his head. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I was doing research in the library," she said a bit angrily. "Unlike you, who's always up to no good." He glared at her. "You know what? I should probably go. God forbid if I get detention again."

"Aw," he cooed, smirking, "is Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes afraid of getting in trouble?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not really," she replied, shrugging. "It'll affect my grades, is all." She narrowed her eyes at the locker that he was trying to break into. The locker was familiar—it had only an L sticker next to the number. That's when it dawned to her: it was Leo's locker. _'No wonder,'_ she thought to herself, watching him fail at opening it, _'Leo changes his combination every two days.'_

He cursed silently to himself. She knew he was getting frustrated. She checked her watch, 3:56PM, it said.

"Travis," she said sweetly, smiling, smirking at him. "You should just stop that," she gestured to the locker. "It's no use, anyway. I mean, Leo changes his combination a lot."

Then she left him, walked away, chuckling silently to herself. She never felt more proud of herself, _ever_.

**-o-**

Travis went home feeling pissed.

_'Leo changes his combination a lot.'_ Why didn't Connor told him that? It would've saved him time, effort and energy. Maybe Connor didn't know, but he didn't care. How many times did that Valdez kid change his locker combination, anyway? Last week, Connor tried breaking in but failed. And so, that was why. The mystery behind Leo Valdez's locker.

He arrived at their apartment, with his mom welcoming him, and Connor giving him questioning glances.

"So?" Connor prompted. "Did you guess the combination? Did you see what's inside his locker? Any cool stuff?"

Travis shook his head. "Didn't get the chance to," he said smoothly, knowing it was a lie. "The dude changes his combination a lot. Couldn't get in." Connor made a noise of disappointment, cursing. "Besides, that old man Mr. Brunner almost caught me."

He won't mention Katie, no doubt Connor would start giving him strange looks again.

"Damn it!" Connor cursed loudly.

"Language!" their mother called out, reprimanding him. Connor rolled his eyes and Travis snickered at him.

The rest of his afternoon went in a blur. A little bit of homework here and there, not that he actually did all of them. He ate burgers with his brother, played videogames—he _sucked_ at Mario Kart, but he was rather good with Halo—and dinner went smoothly. When it was time for bed, he stayed up a bit late, chatting silently with Connor, planning their next mischief.

Though for some reason, he couldn't take Katie out of his mind. That weird, stupid girl.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay wow that was it! Tell me what you think? :-)


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n:** First of all, I'm really, really, really, really, _really_ sorry!

i know you're expecting an update just to find out that it's an author's note and ugh i am really so sorry for that. it's just i got busy with school and life basically (and i've been pretty lazy with everything i do shhh) and i almost forgot this fic. _almost_. and i've been writing the 7th chapter but i got stuck in the middle of writing because i got this huge writer's block and ghljsdjlhgsjdhfkhjs gah. i just lost all inspiration for this fic, basically (GODDAMMIT I AM SORRY) and i don't know. i just might delete it because i have no idea how to continue this tbh. again, i am really so so so so so _so_ sorry!

but to everyone who read, enjoyed, reviewed, followed and favorited this fic, thank you thank you thank you thank you all so much! i love you all to the bottom of my heart. you guys are gr10!

(i might rewrite this, though. _might_. when i'm feeling really productive and stuff. :-)) )

again, i am really sorry!


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